5 Petals
by luckycarrot
Summary: Magic and song, princes and princesses, gentle snakes and evil birds. A companion to my comic "Rosa y Romero". Chapters will feature different points of view, so expect many Vocaloids in here. (In Hiatus)
1. Chapter 1 - Gumi

Gumi watched with concern as her sister paced back and forth violently; Lily's black and yellow dress, with its short cape and many ribbons, would've made for a pretty sight as it swirled around following her rapid movements, but the sight of Lily's face contorted in anger scared Gumi. It was like a loud, dissonant note in the middle of a sweet song. Lily could be rough and headstrong, but she had never seen her be ugly.

"He's ours! He doesn't need anyone else!" Lily grabbed one of Gumi's stuffed toys that happened to be unlucky enough to be within reach, and began slamming it against one of the sides of a heavy armchair next to Gumi's bed.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Lily punctuated each blow with the word.

It wasn't particularly clear to Gumi if her toy was currently representing their brother or his winged friend, but she feared it wasn't sturdy enough for the job. Still, she remained where she was, unwilling to direct Lily's attention to herself.

Finally, Lily threw the toy to a corner of the bedroom, and looked around a bit dazedly. She turned to face Gumi, with a severe expression.

"You remember that day in the library, when he read us about the pharaohs, right?"

"I do." She answered quietly. It was somewhat a somewhat hazy memory by now, but she recalled that rainy afternoon, a year or two back. They were all curled up together under some heavy blankets, in the least drafty corner they could find, and Gakupo had read from that yellowed, crinkly book until she fell asleep and dreamt of sphinxes and huge, devouring blue skies.

"Pharaohs don't need outsiders, and they are as powerful as humans can get. So why does he want someone from outside the valley? Besides, that girl is just a thief. You heard her, begging him to show her the treasure vaults…Oh, it must be so beautiful, the jewels shining like stars…" Lily imitated the tones and body language of the winged girl pretty well, all things considered. Gumi could almost see her, sitting with Gakupo in his balcony, as she seen the pair the previous night. She made a face, revolted by the memory. Lily nodded, pleased.

"She's just pretending to like him."

"I don't know about that…" Why would the girl have to pretend? As far as Gumi knew, there wasn't anyone better out there than her brother.

Lily pursed the lips for a second. "If she really likes him is worse. All she's going to do is get him into trouble."

"Yes." No arguments there. Gumi wasn't about to start shouting or throwing stuff around, but that didn't mean she wasn't unhappy about Gakupo's visitor. Just having to keep it secret from the adults was grating to her, but she had promised. The fact that her brother was making her lie by omission was actually more than a bit disappointing, but it wasn't his fault. It was Lola's. She had to know this wasn't her proper place.

"We need to protect our brother." Lily placed her hands on the bed, looking intensely at her sister. "We are the only ones he can rely on."

"Gakupo's not going to listen to us. But we can't tell Father either."

"No, no." Lily swatted the thought away with a gesture of her hand. "He'll get angry at us if we tell. We need to solve this ourselves."

They considered the situation in silence for a few moments. Then Lily smiled, a slow, dangerous smile.

"Well, she wants to see treasures and magical artifacts. Why don't we show her one?"

-

Their Father, the Serpent King, had a number of treasure rooms both in the castle proper, and stashed away in secret places all around their territories. However, he also kept a number of special items in his study. And there also was Miburi, the fabled sword from the east that only the rightful king was allowed to wield. That weapon kept itself hidden most of the time, and neither Gumi nor Lily could summon it. Not that they could use it properly anyway, as only Gakupo was being trained for it.

But one of the jewels or staves from the study would do just fine. Gumi was better at looking innocent, so she did her best at asking her father what each weapon on display inside the room did, without sounding suspicious. They needed something showy, but not beyond the scope of what they could control. After all, the idea was just to scare that stupid girl away. After a few days, they had settled on a few items that seemed promising.

That was the easiest part. A considerably larger number of days passed by before they had a good opportunity to act. Lola came by again, and even Gakupo's blue haired friend that sometimes visited them on the way to a mission, though he wouldn't tell them who his current target was, this time.

Then came a golden opportunity; Gakupo was going to be away for a day or two on an assignment for the king. Lily had been spying on him for a while now, and knew that he left a letter on the railing of his balcony for one of the girl's bird followers to pick up. So they went to see him off, and then Lily ran into his room and switched his latest message with one she had prepared, asking Lola to come.

The princesses had a good vantage point from her music room to observe the balcony, and the letter weighted down by a small silver statue in the shape of a dragon's head. They half-heartedly practiced their scales all morning, their eyes flicking back and forth from the notes on the page to the open window and back. Finally, just before lunch, a black bird flied into view. After singing a few notes, Gumi could tell that it was truly a small bird, and not Lola herself disguised. It didn't have enough magic to do workings on its own, but it could be a vessel for Lola's songs. The bird pulled and pushed until it freed the letter from under the statue and took off quickly with it.

"It was one of her followers" Gumi turned to face Lily with a solemn expression.

Lily nodded in understanding. "She's probably not that far, anyway. When is a good time to take the staff?"

"At dinnertime, I think. Father usually leaves the study open, and the seneschal goes to put the wards up after making sure the first dish is served." Gumi had the advantage of already having a follower, despite her age: a tiny young snake that had spent a number of afternoons hidden behind a tapestry just opposite the study's door.

"I'll fake a stomachache, then. Matron will go with you to the dinner hall, at least to get you seated."

"Oh yes." The old nursemaid seemed incapable to believe any of them were able to do even the simplest tasks on their own. Gumi guessed that the biggest disappointment in Matron's life was the fact that the King had so far only fathered three children for her to fuss about.

"I'll be back with the staff before she comes back to check on me, and then after lights out we go to Gakupo's room."

"I hope this works out." And I hope this is the right thing to do, Gumi didn't say.

"Of course it will. We'll go back to the way things are supposed to be, just Gakupo, me and you." Lily assured her, a big smile on her face.

-

It did work, at least at first. As expected, Matron made a huge fuss about Lily's supposed stomach ache, before finally agreeing to leave her resting in her room. Lily sat on her bed propped against several cushions, with her best innocent expression plastered on her face. Just as Gumi's specialty was finding the hidden truths of things, Lily's was subterfuge and secrets. That manifested both in her songs of illusion and entrapment, and her ability to tell Matron the boldest lies and get away with it, as long as Gakupo or Gumi weren't directly involved. So Gumi stayed out of the way while Matron and Lily talked, and then followed the servant trying so hard to act normally that she felt about to explode. It took a big effort not to sigh loudly in relief when she finally sat at an end of the long table reserved for the royal family and its closest advisors, in the great dining hall.

Lily and she had been moved from the children's table to their current seats just the year before, a pleasing sign that they were considered young woman now. Father was likely already considering marriage candidates for them. Gumi looked down at the plate, her brow furrowed. It filled her with worry, the idea of being handed off to a man from the outside. But no matter what happened tonight, it was likely that the three of them were going to be separated, since the king was keen on making new political alliances.

If only she could be married to someone from her Father's court, then at least she would see her family every day. It didn't matter who.

Gumi didn't expect to love any man on earth as much as she loved her family, anyway.

Dinner went by awfully slowly. Gumi made no attempts to speak to anyone, afraid that her nervousness would alert the nobles that something was up. Thankfully Father was seated too far away to pay her any attention. So the princess ate slowly, in small bites, and looked with disinterest at the evening's entertainment, a troupe of musicians and dancers prancing about in the space before the royal table. People talked and laughed loudly around her and in the tables for their vassals, so it seemed that she wasn't the only one that found them less than enthralling.

Finally, it was time to retire. Gumi wasn't allowed to run (it was not ladylike, after all), so she walked as quickly as possible back to hers and Lily's chambers. Matron followed her some steps behind, grumbling.

Accordingly, Gumi was the first to poke her head inside Lily's bedroom. Lily had time to wink at her, smiling, before Matron pushed the door open all the way.

"Honestly, you girls are going to be the death of me. What's the use of rushing like that?"

"I just wanted to see how Lily was doing. I was worried." That was true enough. Matron patted her head, apparently mollified.

"Now you've seen her, yes? She's feeling better, I can tell." Lily nodded in agreement, and Matron began to gently push Gumi towards her own room. "I'll be with you in a minute, dear."

"Yes, Matron." Gumi crossed the small siting room connecting their bedrooms, and sat on her bed, tugging at the fabric from her skirt to release her tension. It was hard to get out of these silly dresses by herself, without turning into her other form, so she actually needed Matron's assistance. Thankfully, she had put aside some simpler garments to put on for her 'date' later.

It only took Matron a few minutes to come and help her get changed into a nightgown. Soon after, Gumi was in bed, listening to Matron's steps fade away in the distance. When she guessed the old woman was far enough, she sang a little ball of light into existence and got out of bed. The floating light was barely enough to see what she was doing, but that was probably for the best. She took out a plain blouse and skirt from one of her drawers and put them on. Then she cautiously went to get Lily, with the light trailing behind her.

Her sister was standing next to her bed, wearing a yellow and black knight outfit Gumi recognized as one of their theater costumes. It was something of an odd choice, but Gumi guessed it was better for running around than a dress.

A candle sat on Lily's nightstand, leaving half of her face in shadows, yet her impatience was clearly displayed on the side she could see. Lily acknowledged her presence with an unintelligible mumble and patted a long object wrapped up in cloth, resting on the bed.

"I really want to see that stupid's girl face when she sees this" Lily said. Something about her tone made Gumi feel really uncomfortable.

"We…we are just going to scare her, right?"

"Of course. But it has to be serious enough that she knows we mean it." Lily moved closer, studying her face. "…You are scared."

"I…I'm not sure about this." It was only normal to be a bit worried, wasn't it? There were several things competing for attention in her mind, even discounting the many ways they could fail. Lily's eyes glinted under the ball of light.

"It's all right. You wouldn't be Gumi if you stopped being sweet, even with people that doesn't deserve it." Lily kissed her cheek and smiled. "You and Gakupo are like that. That's why I have to take care of you both."

She then took a step back, and went to unwrap the object. It was a dark wood rod, engraved with jagged silver symbols. "I can't activate this on my own, I tried for a while and all I get are sparks. We'll need to place our hands on it and sing at the same time. Just wait for my signal."

Gumi nodded wordlessly. It was too late now to be doubtful, she guessed. And if she thought too much about things she wouldn't be able to sing right.

"Let's go."

Still, there was something strange about the way Lily was acting, so gleefully going into a confrontation with against an opponent with unknown powers…

-

Someone, probably Matron, had placed a small vase with rosemary branches next to Gakupo's bed. The soothing smell surrounded Gumi and Lily as they waited in the dark, staring at the balcony door. Gumi was beginning to feel drowsy, despite her apprehensions, but Lily seemed alert as ever. Finally, as Gumi stifled a yawn, they heard a noise outside. As the sound increased, they recognized it as the sound of huge wings flapping, though slightly warped and strange. A moment later, a dark figure came into view.

"No followers" Lily whispered. She was right; for whatever it was worth, the young woman that landed on the balcony didn't seem to have any of her birds escorting her.

"Gakupo?" Lola stopped at the doorway, perplexed.

With a few notes, Gumi called her floating light back into existence. Lola took a step back, startled.

"Please don't leave yet. We need to talk." Lily said with a light tone.

Lola said nothing, her look of surprise quickly traded for a guarded expression. Now that Gumi had the chance to look at her more closely, she found her dislike for her only grew. There was something about her pure black eyes, about the unblinking way she stared at them that was somewhat upsetting. Then she smiled a wide, joyless smile, and the feeling was a hundred times worse.

"If it isn't the princesses of Sierpe, what an honor this is! Yet I expected to meet your lovely brother, as you just heard. Was the letter-?"

"A fake? Very much so." Lily interrupted the bird girl.

"Highborn girls engaging in such acts! You must have a very good reason for it. " Lola leaned against the door frame, not even bothering to feign outrage.

"We needed to make sure we could discuss our proposal without being interrupted." Lily said evenly.

"Proposal? What can you precious little serpents offer me? " Lola's voice had now a distinctly mocking tone.

As a response, Gumi and Lily scuttled a bit apart, letting the rod placed directly behind them come into view. Lola tilted her head, her expression gradually shifting into genuine interest as the sisters took the rod into their hands, and held it under the magic light.

"We want you to leave our brother alone." Gumi said, trying hard to keep her voice from shaking.

"This rod is part of our family's heirlooms, but you can have if you leave and never come back." Lily added. "It's very valuable."

Gumi could see the greed plainly written in Lola's face. She walked a few steps closer, almost mesmerized. For a moment, Gumi feared that she would jump and try to snatch the rod from them right there and then. But Lola then crossed her arms, amused.

"You actually think I'd trade my dear prince for such a miserly prize? Use those brains, silly brats. One artifact? When you have piles and piles of treasure gathering dust? If that's the best you can do, then I wonder about this valley's future."

"He's not yours in the first place!" Lily snapped, her grip on the rod tightening.

"Oh, I wonder." Lola laughed; a low, raspy sound. "I do have ways to sway him to my side that you don't, unless you three are closer than what I was told."

With flushed cheeks, Lily growled. "Sing!" Gumi rushed to comply, her stomach lurching. As she launched on a series of scales, she realized Lily and her hadn't settled on a range of notes. But by then Lily had taken charge of the main melody, with a series of quick, violent notes.

Lola raised her hands reflexively to cover her face. But it was too little, too late. The symbols on the rod shined brightly, responding to Gumi's and Lily's song with a distorted, jagged melody of its own. A blast of energy sent Lola flying across the room, until she hit the opposite wall and crumbled on the floor.

Then the screaming started.

Lola howled in pain, twisting and turning on the ground as if possessed. Blood gushed out from her mangled hands, and the many deep cuts in her face and torso. There wasn't a hint of white in her eyes, nothing but two pools of complete darkness, surrounded by crumbling skin.

And Gumi screamed alongside her, a high pitched sound that cut at her own ears but she couldn't control. Her eyes were fixed on the beasts, the coiled, serrated snakes of pure magic that had jumped out from the rod onto Lola, tearing at her flesh.

Gumi! Gumi! What's wrong?!" Lily was shaking her, panicked.

She couldn't see them, she realized. Lily couldn't see the horrible things tearing that girl apart, the old beings of bones and hunger and hate and it was too much, they were too powerful-

Lily slapped her as hard as she could, and then started to haul her towards the door. "Come on, let's get the guards!"

Behind them, Lola was trying to stand, swapping the air around her in a way that told Gumi she couldn't see the beings either, but knew there was something there. She hurled curses at them, insults that degenerated into cries of pain. With an enormous effort, she modulated her voice into a quick tune that made Gumi and Lily stop on their tracks, the latter's hand already on the door handle. Similarly, the beasts stopped biting at her, for the moment just circling in the air around their prey.

"You die now, little ones." She laughed nastily, and flakes of skin fell from the sides of her mouth. Slowly, she took one shaky step forward. She sang some more, her posture growing more steady with each note. Lily glanced from her to Gumi's terrified expression, and fighting her own paralyzed frame, she placed herself between Lola and her sister. Steeling herself, she sang her best song.

Behind her, Gumi blinked. On top of the usual layers of matter and raw magic she usually saw thanks to her powers, there now was a carefully constructed layer of illusion. To anyone but herself, the change would've been completely disorienting: from Lola's perspective, she now was standing alone in a field of white lilies, under a breezy summer's sky. Lily's voice was carried by the wind, only a distant whisper. Lola dropped onto a crouched stance, looking around for the girls just a few steps in front of her. Gumi slowly opened the door, hoping the illusion would be strong enough to keep Lola from hearing the hinges. In the distance, she could sense hurried steps coming towards them.

The guards must've heard all the commotion. In retrospect, it was also possible that the rooms used by the royal family were enchanted to sense the use of magic inside of them. Gumi hadn't even thought to try to detect any spells placed on Gakupo's rooms before any of this. Whatever the case, Gumi crossed the sitting room as fast as she could and opened the door to the hallway. Far to the left, she saw a group of guards and the seneschal himself, carrying lamps. She ran towards them, hurling herself into the seneschal's arms.

"An intruder…Lily is still in there!" Gumi managed to mumble before burying her face in the seneschal's robes, crying.

"Go!" The seneschal shouted.

"Yes, sir!" The guards answered as one, and rushed once more towards Gakupo's chambers. The seneschal quickly tied this lamp to the sash on his waist, picked up Gumi in his arms, and hurried the other way.

Running as hard as he was doing, Lily's and Gumi's chambers were a few minutes away. His footsteps echoed loudly in the empty corridors, and the lamp sent crazy shadows dancing on the walls. The only sound was the hard stomping of the seneschal's boots, and Gumi's sobs.

After turning a corner, they crossed paths with a pair of guards on their usual patrol route.

"You, get the Matron to come to the princesses' quarters." The guard nodded and took off. "You, follow me." The seneschal continued on, and reached the door to the girls' sitting room. He let Gumi down, and opened the door for her.

"Go inside, your highness. I'll be back with your royal sister in no time." He said reassuringly. Then, to the guard standing a few steps behind. "Stay by this door."

Gumi climbed on the nearest sofa and curled herself into a ball, hiding her face with her knees. The seneschal lighted the lamp on the table with a few notes of hurried singing and then left.

The wait was horrible. Alone, surrounded by the dark, images of what had happened flashing repeatedly before her eyes like a nightmare. Later, Gumi would realize that it was barely a half hour later when Lily was brought back, a calm expression on her face. Matron was just behind her sister, questioning her without waiting for answers, her hands planted on Lily's shoulders like she was afraid the girl would disappear if she let go.

"Lily!" Gumi stood and hugged her sister. Lily caressed her hair softly.

"She got away" Gumi stiffened, looking at her with dread. Lily smiled. "But I bet she'll think twice about coming back."

-

Lily gave most of the explanations to the adults, after that. In her version of the events, the bird girl snuck into the castle and managed to take one of the King's artifacts. Then, the princesses saw her entering the crown prince's rooms, possibly looking for more things to steal. In what was simply childish overconfidence, Lily and Gumi had confronted her, and in the resulting scuffle they were forced to use the staff to defend themselves.

Gumi listened and nodded with she felt it was appropriate, and tried very hard not to make eye contact with anyone until they were sent back to bed, now with guards posted outside of their chambers and out in every balcony.

Curled up in her bead, she pondered about Lily, and about the lie she had helped fabricate. It had been good enough for Matron and the seneschal, and Gumi wondered silently whether Lily was expecting to be found by the guards from the start.

Was she also expecting to maim Lola as they did? Was Lily hoping for something so horrible?

-

The next morning Gumi and Lily were back in their sitting room, busy pretending to work on their needlework. Gumi felt a chill every time the guard outside in the balcony moved and this shadow fell over her back, but she didn't feel like getting up from her favorite spot and moving someplace else. Her embroidery laid uselessly on her lap, as she watched Lily happily doing the shoddiest stitches she could pull off before being grounded by Matron, even humming and swinging her legs. Obviously, the whole thing had been a huge success as far as her sister was concerned.

Suddenly, the door was flung open, and there was Gakupo, looking pale and a bit disheveled. Lily threw aside her embroidery hoop with delight, even more when her brother rushed forward to pull her and Gumi into a tight hug. Gumi's own work ended up under Gakupo's left boot, as the trio swayed and barely avoided falling to the ground as a multicolored heap.

"I'm so sorry, so sorry…I've never thought she'd ever do something like that!" Gakupo stumbled over his words. "Are you all right?"

"We're fine." Lily surrounded him with her arms and placed her head on his shoulder, smiling cheekily. "We really kicked her rear, you know?"

Gumi looked down, confused. She knew that Gakupo was, in a sense, responsible for last night. Lola was nasty and she still couldn't understand their friendship at all. But still, she didn't want him to feel guilty over a fight Lily and her had started.

"Gumi?" The worry in his voice made her stomach lurch uncomfortably. Maybe it would be better to let him know, after all?

"Gumi's still a bit rattled over last night." Lily disentangled herself from Gakupo and cradled Gumi's face in her hands. "But I bet she feels safer now that you are here, right?"

The face of her beloved sister, and her steely blue eyes, told her without any room for hesitation that she couldn't tell Gakupo anything. It wasn't even like she could claim that Lily had forced her into doing anything. She wanted just as much as her sister to preserve the few years they had together, no matter what. So once again she said nothing and nodded, supporting whatever Lily said.

Gakupo sighted. "If she ever comes back, I'll take care of it." He placed his arms around Gumi's and Lily's shoulders "I promise."

Gumi leaned against her brother, and took one of Lily's hands into her own. She closed her eyes.

This was worth the lie.


	2. Chapter 2 - Kaito

Well, whether you consider this a story or not, here's chapter 2 :)

* * *

"Kaito, are you listening to me?" Lord Fuuga asked again, with the tiniest sliver of impatience in his voice. He pointed to the ground in front of him, and eyed the blue-haired boy meaningfully. Kaito reluctantly landed on the ground, and folded his wings. His father was an incredibly patient man, but he knew better than to disobey when he heard that particular tone.

With a melodious trine, the songbirds Kaito had playing with flew away, zigzagging past the trees of the orchard.

"This is important. Not everyone is welcomed into the King's Mistral Corps, not even among the nobility. This could lead to great opportunities down the road for you. You have to be on your best behavior," the man continued.

"Yes, Father," Kaito replied unenthusiastically. He had no idea what was so good about this. Training and studying when other kids were still free to roam around having fun? Living away from his father and Nana in the headquarters of the organization? Just thinking about the recruiter repeating words like 'discipline' and 'order' over and over as he talked to his father was annoying.

"Don't frown so much," Lord Fuuga chided him gently. "You'll come to enjoy the work, I'm sure. It's a perfect fit for a boy of your talents."

Kaito nodded, despite being profoundly unconvinced. At this point, he could at least give it a try, for his father's sake. "What happens if I don't pass the tests? Can I come back home?"

His father smiled warmly at him. "I'm sure you won't have any problems, if you take the examination seriously."

Now that was a problem. Despite this young age, Kaito had already decided a simple thing: he never wanted to take anything seriously, unless it was really, _really_ necessary.

* * *

Kaito often wondered how it would feel to fly through the skies reflected in the pond. Not the real skies above his and Meiko's favorite spot (he knew those well enough by now), but the nebulous space beyond the trembling canopy reflected under his dangling feet.

A world where everything was upside down and nothing made sense, wouldn't that be fun? A sky to fall into, forever going downwards into nothingness…

At the moment though, that fascinating world below was nothing but a jumble of lights and shadows, thanks to Meiko noisily kicking in the water. She reached a half-submerged rock and sat on it, shaking her short auburn hair.

"You look like a dog," Kaito dutifully noted. Meiko stuck her tongue out at him.

"What do you think _you_ look like, when you shake your head?"

"I look stylish, of course!" He made a small reverence.

Meiko made a very unladylike gesture and laughed. She lifted herself into the air, and went to sit by his side on the thick branch that stretched itself almost horizontally over the water.

Kaito casually wrapped his arm around her shoulders. The pearls of water on his skin and hair felt very refreshing in the warm air.

"What are you supposed to do, anyway? They can't be expecting you to do any big spells just yet," she asked, repeatedly touching the surface of the water with a toe.

"I don't think there's going to be any fighting in the first place. I'm going as a page."

"An attendant? You?" Meiko giggled, as if it was the most ludicrous thing she'd heard.

Kaito had been lectured at length about everything he wasn't supposed to do or say at the meeting with the Serpent King. So long that he had actually _absorbed_ some of it. Basically, he was meant to stand around without moving and be polite.

Funny how their instructors still expected such things from him, after months of training.

"Stay quiet and out of the way, unless you're needed," He said quickly, as if trying to get rid of the words as soon as possible.

"It's like they don't know you," Meiko said, stretching her legs. "Heh, even I would go mad after five minutes of that. Still, I wished I could go see the snakes. We should be going together!"

Indeed. Kaito and Meiko had been partnered since the beginning of their Hunter training almost eight months ago. And to their instructors' amazement, everyone involved in the project still had all their limbs and most of their sanity intact.

"Girls can't be pages, though," Kaito pointed out. Not that he cared about stuff like that, but he wasn't about to let the chance to pester anyone go by.

"That's not true!" Meiko pushed him.

Kaito shrugged, and floated off the branch, to better pose in the most annoying way possible.

"It _is_ kinda weird, given that girls make for nicer decoration." He fluttered his eyelids for effect. "But there you have it. I get to play statue, and be bored."

Meiko pouted at him. "Well, if anything interesting does happen, you'll be the first to know," he continued.

As a matter of fact, Kaito suspected that the fact that he was a noble and Meiko wasn't had been the main reason he was chosen. This was one of the 'opportunities' his father had mentioned, whatever that meant. Kaito was old enough to vaguely notice societal intricacies, but he didn't give two feathers about them, most of the time.

For instance, he could tell Lord Fuuga didn't particularly like Meiko all that much. Not that it required much shrewdness, given that Kaito later learned his father had gone straight into the Mistral Corps headquarters after his son's first week of training, fruitlessly demanding that his son would be partnered with someone more educated.

Funny, given that he was usually the one dragging Meiko into mischief. Then again, adults could be dumb like that.

* * *

Castle Sierpe sat next to a beautiful lake, in a valley filled to the brim with all sorts of lush vegetation. Despite the season, there were flowering trees and vines everywhere, filling the air with their perfume. The slight breeze brought the unfamiliar mixture of smells to Kaito's nose, as if beckoning him to take off flying and enjoy the day. His wings twitched. How could anyone think that sitting down and talking was a better way to pass the time, with lovely weather like this? Not that he was allowed to sit in the first place. Just stand around with a platter and a goblet next to the King of Winds, isn't that exciting?

How long had it been since they first touched the ground in front of the castle? There were no clocks nearby, and he was pretty terrible at measuring the passage of time using shadows and the position of the sun. He looked around, but everyone else seemed to be enjoying themselves, eating and drinking, and talking with the locals.

Instead of being lead inside the stony walls of the castle, the group had been escorted towards a long terrace overlooking the waters. Long tables had been prepared with all sorts of treats. Curule seats, benches and big puffy cushions lined the perimeter of the terrace. Evidently the serpents knew that air changelings like the king and his vassals disliked being indoors. Or chairs that required hiding their wings, for that matter. It was a nice gesture.

The Serpent King had stood waiting for them in the middle of the terrace. His stony expression barely changed when he greeted them, and Kaito wondered if his face was stuck like that. Like the time he managed to sing a paralyzing song and Meiko got stuck blowing a raspberry until they got ahold of a teacher. He also observed, with some disappointment, that the king had no scales that he could see, unless he was hiding them under the fancy robes and cape.

While the two kings exchanged greetings, Kaito realized there was a child standing directly behind the Serpent King, clutching a handful of the billowing lilac cape. From his place in the formation, Kaito could see a hint of lighter purple hair and bright, curious eyes in a delicate face, watching them with a mixture of shyness and curiosity.

Most girls besides Meiko were prissy tattle-tales, but at least this one was really pretty. Not that it was going to spare her from a good prank if he had the chance.

"Gakupo," the Serpent King said, turning his head slightly to his side. The child startled, but then swiftly moved into full view and saluted the King of Winds.

"That's the crown prince," someone helpfully whispered behind Kaito.

Huh.

Well, _he_ was really pretty, then. And still getting pranked at some moment.

After the initial pleasantries were exchanged, the kings sat to talk in a shadowed corner of the terrace, under the branches of a tree planted next to railing. Kaito took his place next to the King of Winds and his comfy seat, and the prince sat primly by his father's side on an elaborate bench.

And there he was now, refilling his king's goblet and bringing him cheese and fruit from the table, not five steps away. The Serpent King held his goblet in his hands, but only took a sip or two moving his face as little as possible. Kaito's theory seemed more valid by the minute. On the other hand, the prince seemed too amazed by the visitors to even remember that food and drink existed in the first place.

Kaito could only wish he was so easily entertained. His wings were twitching again, and his arms were stiff from holding that stupid tray next to the king's hand. He switched his weight on his right feet, on the left and then back on the right. He noticed the prince watching him, and made a funny face. The prince stifled a laugh.

Kaito could sense the kings becoming increasingly annoyed with his presence. Good.

Finally, the Serpent King sighted. "Gakupo, why don't you show the small lord around?"

Gakupo leapt from his seat, clearly overjoyed at the prospect. He quickly took the tray from Kaito, placed it on the table and spun around to grab one of Kaito's hands. "Let's go!"

"Lead on," Kaito answered, allowing himself to float slightly above the ground. Gakupo approved, if his big smile was any indication. Then he took off running towards the lakeshore, dragging Kaito along like an oversized toy. Behind them, Kaito could hear their host instructing some guards to follow them at a prudent distance.

Gakupo chose a twisted stairway made of boulders of different sizes, off to the side of the way towards the castle, and began to bounce from step to step with the kind of energy that usually required lots of sugar. At one point, he actually slipped and Kaito had to pull him upwards before they both ended up on a heap at the bottom of the stairs. Instead, they floated gently downwards until the prince's feet touched the ground. Gakupo didn't even seem upset at the possibility of broken bones.

"That's so amazing!" The prince gushed. Kaito very much agreed. It was a pity that were people like the prince who had to live shackled to the ground. "I once had someone carry me over the lake like that… my feet were touching the water like this," Gakupo said. He stood on his tiptoes for a second, and then twisted around to point at the other side of the lake, where some boats were tied. "We got all the way there!"

Kaito tilted his head at this. Hadn't the instructors said that the king and his group were the first visitors the Sierpe had admitted in ages? Who was this someone, then? But the prince's mind had already wondered off in another direction, apparently, as he was studying his wings with interest.

"Why aren't your wings blue? Your hair is blue."

"Don't know. Why should they match my hair? Plus my father's wings are white." Gakupo seemed somewhat unconvinced by this argument.

"In any case, they aren't all white. Look closely." Kaito turned around and spread his wings all the way through.

Both the tips of the longest feather on each side, and the place where the wings met his body had a tinge of blue about them. Gakupo reached out to touch the spot between his shoulder blades with a look of intense curiosity, but Kaito swiftly got out of his range.

"You don't touch people there without permission, you know?!"

"Is it…bad manners, among your people?" Gakupo asked sheepishly.

"Of course it is!"

"Oh." Gakupo said, blinking. "No wonder she…" He trailed off, eyeing the approaching guards. Apparently they had missed the unorthodox way their crown prince had travelled to the bottom of the stairway, because they were pretty relaxed and uninterested in the conversation going on below them.

Kaito had enough experience to recognize the face of someone misbehaving, or keeping secrets from adults. Even though he usually didn't care, some people managed to make him feel guilty enough to wear that expression himself from time to time. So 'she' was someone that wasn't supposed to be inside the valley in the first place. Interesting.

"Who are you talking about?" He moved closer to the prince and whispered.

Gakupo looked at him suspiciously. "You have to promise not to tell!"

"Hunter's honor." Kaito answered right away. Not that he was one just yet, but he would be anointed as one, eventually.

Gakupo looked at him, startled. "You are a Hunter?!" Gakupo backed away a few steps, and the water from the lake licked his shoes. The guards, by then sitting nearby, deigned to show some interest by looking their way.

"…Fine, I'm not one yet. But I'm in training," Kaito said, a bit confused at Gakupo's overreaction.

"But they hurt people!" Gakupo blurted out.

What?

"No, they catch bad guys." And they were much more welcoming of commoners than any snooty noble Kaito knew. Now that he was friends with Meiko, it was huge in his book.

Gakupo shook his head stubbornly.

"You've been in this stupid valley all your life. What would you know about it?"

Gakupo made a face at him and, apparently deciding to leave the guest to fend for himself, turned to leave. Unfortunately, the muddy shore he was standing in had other plans, and the speed of his movement made him slip and fall on his rear. Kaito exploded in laughter, from his vantage point in the air.

A moment later, a white and purple blur hurled itself in the air and slapped him squarely in the face with its…tail? Kaito dropped like a stone onto a small pond formed by a slope on the terrain. A snake dropped beside him, and transformed back into a very soaked prince. The guards rushed to fish the now squabbling children out of the water, shaking their heads.

"The king won't be happy if he sees you fighting, your highness." One of them said good-humoredly. Gakupo shrank, already contrite.

"And you boy, you don't think you were brought here for this, do you?" Kaito shrugged, and then looked at Gakupo.

"I am sorry." It wasn't worth it to get scolded over something so small. One could only fight decently when no adults were around, in any case.

"…I'm sorry too." Gakupo whispered.

"I didn't mean to eavesdrop, your highness, but the boy is correct. The Mistral Hunters are the justice enforcers for the King of Winds. They only hunt down the men that his majesty decides are criminals," the tallest guard addressed Gakupo with a kind smile. He was clearly holding back laughter.

"See?" Kaito said, "I told you! Bad guys."

Gakupo looked at him frowning, but said nothing, as the guard took off his cape and wrapped it around the prince like a blanket. Kaito eyed the other guard, but he apparently didn't feel the need for such courtesies.

"You both need a bath and a change of clothes before you go back to the meeting. Come on."

Half an hour later, Kaito and Gakupo were soaking in a big tub of steaming water. Kaito was busy preening his feathers, while Gakupo watched him from the corner of his eye. Kaito suspected the prince still felt the urge to poke him.

"I can promise you one thing, on my own honor." Kaito finally said, nonchalantly.

"Huh?"

"I'll only ever catch bad people, no matter what the king says."

Gakupo looked at him, surprised. Slowly, his expression changed into a smile.

"Yeah, that's more like it!" Kaito extended one of his wings and tickled Gakupo under the chin. The prince busted out laughing, splashing hot water everywhere.

Kaito felt the diplomatic visit was going pretty well at that point, all things considered. So the next logical move, after they got dressed, was to lose the guards and find the kitchens to see if the serpents knew how to make sugary desserts. It was of the utmost importance.

* * *

The serpents were great at pretty good at confectionary, it turned out. Not even Lord Fuuga, who went out of his way to have the best treats at home when Kaito had time off, could hope to match their pastries and sweets.

Every time Kaito visited the valley, whether it was for relaxation or official Hunter business, he made a point of trying some new delicacy. It became something of a ritual for Gakupo and him: Kaito would bring the prince something exotic from the world beyond the valley, and in return Gakupo presented him with increasingly elaborate treats. It was a perfect arrangement, as far as Kaito was concerned, with pleasant afternoons spent chatting with someone wildly interested in anything he wanted to say, while eating the most glorious goodies under the sun.

But there was more to it. Given how exhausting and difficult his job could be, it was really gratifying to see the prince's face lit up with joy when Kaito returned after a long absence. It made him feel important, far more than Kaito gave himself credit for. It helped that Gakupo was so removed from everything else in his life that Kaito could speak with him about subjects he couldn't share with anyone else. Like Lord Fuuga's insistence on him settling down, or his own concerns with the recent changes in the Corps.

The latter bugged him more than his father's demands for a nice girl in his nest. The Corps was the one place in the realm were birth rights mattered less than competence, or at least it was meant to be. Kaito suspected that the new leadership was already trying to reorganize the Hunters in order to have only nobles in the upper ranks, and commoners as grunts. With increasing frequency, Kaito had received solo missions, in order to prove himself worthy of a new posting. Of course, that meant being separated from Meiko.

Kaito was flying back from one of said assignments when he spotted his partner out on the grounds of the Hunters headquarters. Meiko was laying down over a blanket, an empty bottle by her side, and surrounded by fallen autumn leaves. Her red dress matched the scenery quite nicely. He landed softly on top of her, pinning her between his legs.

"I have you now, my delicious caramelized fruit!" He intoned dramatically. Meiko rubbed her eyes, sighing.

"Oh no, what can a delicate girl like me do?" She said in a monotone, before pushing him off her with one hand. He rolled on his back, and patted his stomach. Meiko accepted the wordless invitation and rested her head on it, like a pillow.

"How did things go on your end, then?" Kaito asked in a slightly more serious tone.

"Eh, I got it done. That's all that matters, right?" She said quietly.

"Yep."

"How about you?"

"Same. The man sure made me chase him for a while, though."

"Mnh." Meiko mumbled her acknowledgment, her eyes half-lidded. She seemed pretty tired, actually. Too bad. He actually felt he was due some drinking and dancing, before taking on any other mission. But as if reading his mind, she rose into a sitting position and seemed somewhat more alert. "Oh, they already have another assignment for you. I don't think you are going to like this, though."

"Why?"

"It's Lola."

"…oh, joy." Lola had managed to give the hunters the slip twice now. And there was an additional twist to the whole situation.

Lola had befriended the prince of the Sierpe, Gakupo. The prince's own sister, Lily, wrote a letter to Kaito, confirming it. Apparently they had met years and years ago, making her the 'she' Gakupo had mentioned in his very first visit to the valley. And the prince had somehow managed to keep this to himself all this time, despite Kaito's frequent visits whenever he was in a hunt in the area. Admittedly, Kaito had forgotten about the whole 'mysterious stranger' at the first opportunity, like he tended to do, but there had been plenty of opportunities for his friend to mention that he had a soft spot for unrepentant felons. Or this one particular one, who knew.

"I'm not invited to the party, again." Meiko noted. "Not that I mind, in this instance. I feel like I could sleep for a thousand years."

"Well then, I will have to rehabilitate her on my own." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Or just apprehend her, more likely. There was no getting through to some people.

"You do that." Meiko went back to lying down, feigning a complete lack of interest. Then she let out a big yawn, probably not faked.

"I think I need to carry you to my bed before you begin snoring in front of all the innocent trainees running about."

"Your bed?"

"Well you know, a proper goodbye would be invigorating."

Meiko went completely limp, closed her eyes and stuck her tongue out at an angle. "You really know what to say to make women swoon. Look how much I'm swooning right now." Kaito took the opportunity to cradle Meiko in his arms and took off into the air. "But don't feel insulted if I fall asleep in the middle of it," Meiko said, laughing.

"I'm not into ravaging snoring people. Never mind, then," Kaito replied lightly.

"My, don't sound so disappointed, or I'll think you weren't actually hitting on me," Meiko said and yawned again.

Kaito just chuckled. His partner was well aware of how much he liked to clown around, but it was rare for her to break the pretense, preferring mostly to tease him back. It was one of the things that made Meiko a good partner, really.

He didn't look forward at all to being re-assigned away from her.

* * *

The cold drops of rain ran down the back of Kaito's neck, sticking his shirt to his back. It figured that the Serpent King would allow rain to fall when he dropped by. Or perhaps it was Gakupo himself, as he was old enough to affect the landscape of the valley on his own with his songs.

Covering her tracks, maybe? If that was the case, then it was a pretty pointless attempt. Once Lola began to fly directly towards the castle, there was only one place she could land on, and that was Gakupo's balcony.

So here he was, leaning on the railing with his arms crossed, feigning nonchalance. Gakupo stood on the doorway with an apprehensive look on his face and rather spectacular bed hair. There was a single light source somewhere in the room behind him, but it wasn't enough to make out too many details. Lola could be staring at him from the shadows, for all Kaito knew.

"You know why I'm here."

Gakupo shook his head. Kaito guessed it was more to refuse him entry rather than to claim ignorance.

"You are going to catch a cold like that." Kaito noted, gesturing vaguely towards Gakupo's nightclothes and naked feet. "Lola could've at least handed you some slippers before she sent you out to fight her battles."

"Please go away," Gakupo whispered.

"I don't think so, sweetness," Kaito said, and casually adjusted his muffler as if nothing was out of the ordinary.

"You don't have jurisdiction inside the valley."

"I do, actually. I think you'll even find your signature on the treaty that grants a special permission to envoys like myself, if the request is done through the proper channels. You know this as well as I do." Despite his best efforts, Kaito couldn't help but let slip some coldness into his words. Did Gakupo really think he could get away with treating him like a fool?

"I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding."

"This is the third time the Corps been tasked with bringing Lola in. I think we're past that point."

"…Three times?" Gakupo's eyes went wide. So at least he wasn't aware of what Lola was up to. It made sense.

"And that's not counting the mess that got her banished from court, all those years back."

"That was in self-defense!" Gakupo said, a rare tinge of anger in his voice.

"Shame that there are no witnesses to verify that." Kaito ran his hand through his wet hair, suddenly feeling very weary. "Look, I don't know what she told you… to be honest, I have no way of knowing if the official version of what happened back then is true or not. But this time I spoke with the girl she stole from myself. And I am convinced, or I wouldn't be here."

Gakupo searched his face, as if trying to find any doubts lingering on his mind. But there weren't any. Finally, the prince leaned on one side of the doorframe, as if all his energy had left then in an instant. "You must think I am terribly stupid," he said quietly, after a long moment.

"Yeah, but at least you've got looks and money. That usually helps," Kaito said, smiling. There was a limit to how seriously could take any situation, after all. To his disappointment, Gakupo didn't acknowledge the barb at all. In fact, he seemed to be pondering something.

"Could you give me some time to speak with her, at least?"

"You don't actually expect me to stand here in the rain all night, I hope."

Gakupo blinked, and then wordlessly pointed over the railing to a warm light at ground level. Kaito realized, thinking back to his earlier visits, that it was the guards' quarters.

"Tell them to give you something dry to wear, and a warm drink if you want. Then one of them can escort you back here."

"And in the meantime Lola escapes, excellent idea."

"No!" Gakupo grabbed one of his upper arms. "Kaito, maybe I can convince her to return whatever it is that she took, but I can't do it with you standing five steps away."

"What, are you going to make out with her or something? That would get awkward, I suppose."

"Please, just give me half an hour. I won't get in your way after that." Gakupo pleaded.

A long silence stretched between them, broken only by the soft sound of the rain.

"…After all of this is over, you need to tell me what makes this chick so great." Kaito gently removed Gakupo's hand from his arm and rose in the air. Gakupo broke into one of his characteristic brilliant smiles. He began to thank Kaito, but the blue haired man waved his hand and dove into the night air.

"This is going to be a great addition to my after-action report", Kaito mumbled as he approached the light, now clearly a big fire. "Sir, I care more about seeing my friends happy than to fulfill my work obligations. Now, how about a promotion?" Not that he expected Gakupo to succeed. This would mean starting the search from scratch, most likely. But at least the prince would see Lola for what she really was.

The fire was inside an inner courtyard, protected from the rain by being under an ornate snake statue. An open doorway tinged in orange light promised all sorts of warm delights. Two guards were leaning at opposite sides of the door, smoking their pipes. Kaito landed right in front of them, causing one to fumble with it, almost dropping it.

"Sorry about that. Mind if I come in?" Kaito said much more cheerfully than he felt at the moment.

After a second, one of the men recognized him. A second later he was being guided inside, the guards almost tripping over themselves in their eagerness to show deference to their crown prince's close friend.

* * *

Half an hour later, Kaito was walking (something he didn't like all that much) through a dark corridor, following the ample back of one of the guards on duty. It would've been faster to fly them both to Gakupo's rooms, but most Sierpe were unreasonably against leaving the ground. Though honestly, flying inside these cramped hallways was more than a little uncomfortable. At least there were already in the corridor to Gakupo's chambers.

As a matter of fact, he was a bit surprised at how willing they were to let a foreigner waltz into their crown prince's rooms just like that. Friend or not, he had arrived unannounced and in the middle of the night. These people really were relying too much on the protective spells kept in place by the King.

Which Lola proved were completely rubbish, in fact.

"We are here, my lord." The guard said unnecessarily, in front of the door to Gakupo's sitting room. How many times had he been here before, again?

"Thanks, you can go." He patted the man's shoulder and passed him, his feet barely on the ground.

"Yes, sir," The guard smiled a little too wide and went back to his usual route. Kaito suddenly wondered if the guards thought he was there on a 'special' mission. If that was the case, he would insist on a romantic candlelight dinner first. He was getting pretty hungry by that point.

"Hey, justice is here!" He knocked on the door.

"It's unlocked," a subdued voice answered from the inside. Well, Gakupo was still alive, that was good.

Kaito opened the door cautiously. It was a cozy room, with the expected abundance of purple in the tapestries and regal chairs around a small round table, served with some wine and pastries. Gakupo was sitting on one of the chairs, a somber look in his face. He had put on a robe over his nightclothes, and his hair was up in his usual ponytail.

Lola was, predictably, nowhere to be seen.

Kaito casually floated to the nearest chair and sat, smiling just a tad too smugly. He wasn't about to let Gakupo go without a little teasing. He grabbed an empty glass, and served himself some wine.

Slowly, Gakupo raised his hands from his lap. In his palms, he had an ornate locket.

"Is this it?" he asked quietly.

Well, what do you know?

Kaito whistled and took the locket into his hands, and sang to it. The locket shined for a few seconds, a single chord vibrating in the air. "It is. Miss Ia is going to be happy about this." He looked up at Gakupo, who had a distinctly unhappy look on his face. "Hey, Prince Purplepants, this is a good thing. Your friend gets to spread her ugly wing-and-a-half freely." At least until the next time this happens, Kaito added mentally.

"…You were right, she is a thief. She admitted it, right to my face. She said neither of us had any right to judge her, born into privilege as we are."

"Oh, that's just droppings. Anyone can make something of themselves if they set their minds to it, without turning to hurting others. Take Meiko, for example."

Though, if he thought about it, even in the Hunters, noblemen had a tendency to rise in the ranks faster than anyone else...even before the new administration. Some people even referred to Meiko as his assistant, despite the fact that they had entered service at the same time and had the same obligations. He doubted Lola would have the strength to handle being humiliated so often.

"I…Do you have a lot of friends, back home?" Gakupo asked hesitantly.

What was this about, now? Kaito tilted his head lightly. "Hmm, I know a lot of people I can have a good time with, in and out of bed" he smiled, "but I guess you mean something deeper. If you pressure me, I'd say Meiko and you are the only ones I'd really call friends."

Gakupo seemed surprised for a moment, and then he looked down at his lap, a small smile on his lips. "Then you might understand why…" he trailed off. Kaito began munching on a pastry, waiting.

"I'm not supposed to leave the valley, except in very special situations. And once I become king that will be off the table, permanently. I'll never see the things you and Lola have told me about..." Gakupo paused for a moment. "I'll never meet new people unless they come here. I should be used to the idea by now. I know I should, it's my duty to accept this. But it's hard."

"And here I was, thinking that it sounded incredibly enticing." Truthfully, he was thinking how stupid it was for the Sierpe to rely so much on one individual. What if the king died before a suitable heir was born, or before the heir finished his training? Was there anyone else prepared to keep the web of magic protecting the valley in place? Not to mention the slow boiling rage he felt at seeing one of his friends in such a situation.

"I guess she symbolizes something for me, beyond what's really there," Gakupo said and looked away, at the closed window. "And losing that, it feels like the valley is even smaller now." He said, after another long pause. Kaito picked up another pastry and finished in three bites. It seemed like there was something else Gakupo wasn't saying, but Kaito sensed it would pointless to ask anything.

At last, Gakupo looked at a clock over the mantelpiece, and rose. "I should get you to a bed, unless you want a proper dinner first."

"I'll manage with these pastries for now. Take me to your bed."

"Not in the mood. Come on," Gakupo said, with a small smile. He went towards one of the doors, and led Kaito to a smaller bedroom, presumably meant for a valet. Kaito floated down until he rested on the bed, and patted the space beside him. Gakupo shook his head.

"A Hunter can get so lonely sometimes, without the warm embrace of a friend," Kaito exclaimed, twisting his body into a dramatic pose.

"Good night." Gakupo said, fighting back a chuckle.

"Good night, my dear prince," Kaito replied. Gakupo's expression shifted somewhat, for some reason, but the smile returned after a second, and he nodded as he closed the door. Kaito sat up and took off his boots, hearing the prince retrace his steps back into the sitting room. Vaguely, he heard the creak of the door of the main bedroom, and Gakupo going inside.

Kaito laid on the bed on his stomach, the locket held tightly on one hand. He went over the events of the day, already compiling his report in his head before he drifted off to sleep. All in all, it could've gone far worse. Gakupo was going to be on his guard after this, surely. And Kaito was going to make sure Lola didn't bother him again.


End file.
